The present system relates to the field of network troubleshooting and analysis and particularly to a system and method for inferring connectivity among external networks, in some cases in the absence of configuration information.
In the field of network performance analysis, it is often desirable to evaluate a current state of network health or to predict future network behavior. For comprehensive network analysis, it is important to have at least some portion of a physical description of a connected network. However, often there are cases where network segments are managed by parties other than the party that is performing the network analysis. In other cases where network segments are managed by a single party (e.g., enterprise or service provider), often the segments are interconnected via one or more external networks so again it is not possible to build a sufficient description of a physical connection between those managed segments, for example, due to a lack of configuration information for the external networks. In such cases, for any type of analysis involving an inter-site network activity that involves a network segment where details on the segment are not available, there needs to be some type of abstraction to represent a configuration of the external network segments that connect to a current user's network segments.
It would be advantageous to overcome the disadvantages and/or make improvements in the prior art. Through operation of an embodiment of the present system, a method is provided to create an abstract representation of external networks, thereby providing a connected network topology when desired.
The present system includes a system, method and device for inferring connectivity between unconnected network segments. In operation, unconnected network segments are identified. Configuration data related to the unconnected network segments may be examined to facilitate inferring configuration data for an external network connected between the unconnected network segments. The inferred configuration data may be rendered. The inferred configuration data may be related to a communication protocol, such as Internet Protocol (IP), Open Shortest Path First (OSPF), Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), and Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). In one embodiment, the inferred configuration data may be related to network bandwidth.
The rendering may include exporting the inferred configuration data to a network model. The rendering may include visually depicting the inferred configuration data. In rendering the configuration data, a network model may be altered to include one or more additional elements that are representative of at least a portion of the external network. The examined configuration data may be related to one or more of the unconnected network segments, may be captured directly from one or more of the unconnected network segments and/or may be retrieved from a configuration data file, such as a network configuration model.
Inferring configuration data may include an automated activity and/or a manual activity. Inferring configuration data may include a step-wise process for interaction with a user. The step-wise process may be arranged to prompt the user to make the inference. A user interface (UI), for example such as a graphical user interface (GUI) may be generated to facilitate user interaction. The UI may be arranged having a first portion related to inferring the configuration data and a second portion related to associated help. In one embodiment, each of the portions may be depicted simultaneously within the UI.